ST. PETE BEACH, Florida—Bellwether Beach Resort opened in St. Pete Beach, Florida, as the destination’s newest independent beachfront hotel and the first in more than ten years. Housed inside a tower that’s been on St. Pete Beach since the 1970s, Bellwether debuts in this destination with its bold design, dining experiences, and services.
Bellwether’s retro-Florida, modern style has a lobby dressed in mid-century furnishings, terrazzo tiles, and watery tones; vintage artwork of seaside getaways of the 1960s; and a welcome found at Bellwether’s reception desk with complimentary beverages on hand.
Amenities at Bellwether include indoor and outdoor lounge areas with tucked-away corners, garden-inspired patios, and communal tables, and they offer a place to unwind. A beachfront pool deck has chaise lounges, and bistro seating provides a lunch spot. St. Pete’s beach is steps away; there, guests will find cabanas attended to by Bellwether’s Beach Butlers on hand to provide towel set-up, water, food, and drink service, plus beach toys for those visiting with children. Water activities like kayaks and paddleboards are available for exploring the Gulf.
The resort’s dining venues range from sophisticated to casual. Spinners Rooftop Grille is 12 floors above the St. Pete Beach shoreline. Its menu spotlights some of Florida’s purveyors and sustainable foods. Seafood, cuts of beef, and local greens are on the Spinners menu. One floor below, Level 11 Rooftop Bar & Lounge offers an outdoor dining option. This open-air venue has wraparound views of the Gulf of Mexico and the surrounding area. As the night progresses, the space transitions to an adult-centric spot with music, small bites and desserts, and an emphasis on its mixology program.
A lunch and dinner dining retreat can be found at Bellwether’s Bongo’s Beach Bar & Grille. Bongo’s offers bar fare to pair with its menu of mixed drinks, frozen concoctions, and a regular line-up of live music. Inside, the transitional St. Pete Social is for morning lattes, late afternoon cocktails, and quick-fix-style foods.
Upstairs, 150 of Bellwether’s 156 guestrooms and suites are spread across nine floors that have colors schemes like tangerine orange and lime green. Each with a balcony, Bellwether’s accommodations are outfitted with either one king bed or two king beds, making them suited to families or groups.
The resort’s six penthouses feature a design that aligns with that of Bellwether’s public spaces: a modern twist on retro-Florida. Furnishings, multi-room/split-level floor plans, and bathrooms are complemented with floor-to-ceiling windows with views of the shoreline.
“The initial vision for Bellwether Beach Resort began more than three years ago when the hotel’s current owners purchased the property,” said Jay Rocha, vice president of operations for Bellwether Beach Resort. “The awe-inspiring beachfront location, the unique placement of the dining venues, and the tower’s long-standing history in this exceptional city all became key elements of inspiration for what we knew this property could become. As we open our doors and begin welcoming guests to our little slice of paradise, we are proud to spotlight everything Bellwether will deliver to this community and those who visit it.”
